'I AM HE'

Jesus said: ‘I am He’

God revealed His divine name to Moses: Moses then said to God, ‘Look if I go to the Israelites and say to them, “ The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,” and they say to me, “What is his name?” what am I to tell them?’ God said to Moses ‘I am he who is.’ And he said, ‘this is what you are to say to the Israelites “I am has sent me to you.” God further said to Moses, ‘You are to tell the Israelites, “Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name for all time, and thus I am to be invoked for all generations to come.’ (Exodus. 3: 13-15)

I remember the words of Br. Shaji when he explains the Name of God. He said: ‘Jesus Christ is the same God, who spoken to Moses from the bush, and in Mt. Sinai.’ ‘The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame blazing from the middle of a bush. Moses looked; there was the bush blazing, but the bush was not being burnt up. Moses said, ‘I must go across and see this strange sight, and why the bush was not being burnt up.’ When Yahweh saw him going across to look, God called to him from the middle of the bush. ‘Moses, Moses!’ he said. Here I am,’ he answered. Come no nearer,’ he said. ‘Take of your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I am God of your ancestors.’ he said ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and God of Jacob.’ At this Moses covered his face, for he was afraid to look at God.’(Exodus.3: 2-6)

Mother Mary, intercede for us for the grace to ponder the word of God in our hearts. Br. Shaji, intercede for our community to understand and sustain in this grace, as you said ‘our grace is the apostolic grace.’ Br. Brilly said in the 10^th Anniversary of Br.Victor: ‘Our community based in first and last is the Word of God.’ ‘This is the gospel concerning his Son who, in terms of human nature was born a descendent of David and who, in terms of Spirit and of holiness was designated Son of God in power by resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom we have received grace and our apostolic mission of winning the obedience of faith among all the nations for honour of his name. You are among these, and by his call you belong to Jesus Christ. To you all, God’s beloved in Rome, called to be his holy people. Grace peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 1: 3-7) Br. Shaji has a strong conviction of apostolic grace, which God has given to us as a special blessing. Dear Brother; you left early from us to become a sweet smelling sacrifice for God, and joined God’s eternal glory with our Lord Jesus Christ and with all the angels and saints.

‘Having won God’s favour, he has been loved

and, as he was living among sinners, has been taken away.

He has been carried off so that evil may not wrap

his understanding or deceitfulness seduce his soul;

for the fascination of desire corrupts a simple heart.

having come to perfection so soon, he has lived long;

his soul being pleasing to the Lord,

he has hurried away from the wickedness around him.’(Wis. 4: 10-14)

Lord, through our little knowledge it is difficult to understand your kingdom. But Lord, send us your Spirit to give the wisdom from above. “Where I am going, you cannot come?” ‘ Jesus went on: You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I have told already: You will die in your sins. Yes, if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.’ (Jon.8: 22-24) Yes Lord, if we do not believe that you and Father is the one God, we will die in our sins. How many times you said to us you are the one and the only Son of God who came down form heaven. Still we Israelites do not believe the Truth. The Truth is the Word of God ‘Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth’. (Jon. 17: 17) When we encounter with God and come to spirituality we will always ask ourselves: Is God is true or existing in this universe? When we find that the Truth is Jesus, and he will our God then we will never turned away to any human made god or other cosmic powers to get the worldly pleasures and benefits. Then we come to know the God the Trinity ‘And eternal life is this to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent’. (Jon. 17: 3) Lord, let me surrender myself to you and hold me in your arms.

Jesus again revealed his name to the peoples as God revealed his divine name to Moses ‘I am He’. In scripture says: They did not recognise he was that he was talking to them about the Father. So Jesus said: ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that ‘I am He’, and that I say is what the Father has taught me; he who sent me is with me, and has not left me to myself, for I am always do what pleases him.’(Jon. 8: 28)

Yahweh our God reveal again his divinity.

‘See now that I, I am he,

and beside me there is no other god.

It is who deal death and life;

when I have struck, it is who heal

(no one can rescue anyone from me) (Deut. 32: 39)

Jesus again saying to us there is no difference between him and Father and both are one. And no one rescue anyone from Fathers hands. Jesus said: ‘The sheep that belongs to me listen my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from my hand. The Father and I are one.’ (Jon. 10: 29-30)

We have a special place in Jesus’ hearts. Everything is hidden in the Spirit. That’s why Br. Victor always quote this Word of Jesus: ‘But the hour is coming—indeed is already here—when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; that is the kind of worshipper the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth. (Jon. 4: 23-24) Jesus is not telling everything to everyone. He is choosing somebody to be his own to reveal the hidden mysteries in the Kingdom of God. Lord, let us be your own. ‘Now that you know this, blessed are you if you behave accordingly. I am not speaking about all of you: I know the one I have chosen; but what scripture says must be fulfilled: He who shares my table takes advantage of me. I tell you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe that ‘I am He’. In all truth I tell you, whoever welcomes the one I send, welcomes me, whoever welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me.’(Jon. 13: 17-20)

When Our Lord said to the Sadducees and the Pharisees this Word ‘I am He’, they were trembled in fear and were withdrawn back and fall on the ground. Jesus shows us no one can stand in front of the power of God. But he is merciful and he emptied himself to be like us. If God says ‘I am’ that means nothing sustain in front of his power. There is only one ‘I’, who is our Lord and God.  ‘Knowing everything that was to happen to him, Jesus came forward and said, ‘Who are you looking for?’ They answered, ‘Jesus Nazarene.’ He said, ‘I am He.’ Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he,’ they moved back and fell on the ground. He asked them a second time, who are you looking for? They said Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus replied ‘I have told that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go’. This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, ‘Not one of those you gave me have I lost ’ (Jon. 18: 4-9)

 ‘Now, stammering lips and in a foreign language, he will talk to this nation. He used to say to them, ‘Here you can rest! Here you can let the weary rest! Here all is quiet.’ But they refused to listen. Now Yahweh is going to say to them, ‘Sav lasav, Sav lasav, kav lakav, kav lakav, zeere sham, zeer sham.’ So that when they walk they will fall over backwards and so be broken, trapped and taken captive. (Isiah28: 11-13)

God allows only the holy people to stand in the presence of Him. When Moses and the Israelites were invited to see his presence only Moses was allowed go close to him and talk to him. God ordered Moses no one should come closer to him otherwise they will die. We should sanctify ourselves, and then only we could see God. Yahweh then said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and tell them to sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes and be ready for the day after tomorrow, in the sight of all the people; Yahweh will descend on Mount Sinai. You will mark out the limits of the mountain and say, “Take care not to go up the mountain of the touch the edge of it. Anyone who touches the mountain will be put to death. No one may lay a hand on him: he must be stoned or shot by arrow; whether man of beast, he shall not live.” When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they must go up the mountain.’ So Moses came down from the mountain to the people; he made the people sanctify themselves and they washed their clothes. He then said to the people, ‘Be ready for the day after tomorrow; do not touch a woman.’(Exodus.19: 10-15). Let us sanctify ourselves to meet Jesus and Father in His glory. I remember years back; when I was in distress Br.Abey gave me this Word of God: Joshua said to the peoples, ‘Sanctify yourselves, since tomorrow Yahweh will work wonders among you.’(Joshua 3: 5) I received this Word of God wholeheartedly. God made wonders in me, he wipe away my tears and keep me stand firm in Jesus. Praise God! And praise His Holy Name.

Jesus asking us to seek him and be united with him, to see the Father’s glory in heaven. ‘Jesus Said: I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me; if you know me, ‘you will know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him. Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord: it is the Father living in me, who is doing his works. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works. (Jon 14: 8-11)

When we believe that Father and the Son is one, then only our faith will be increased. Then we start growing spiritually. But growing spiritually means we should become nothing. Lord, increase our faith in you. Like St. Peter proclaimed his faith. Jesus said, ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Matt.16: 16) Lord, let me become nothing in your eyes. ‘He must grow greater, I must grow less’ (Jon. 3: 30) Lord, make us empty ourselves and fill your grace in us. We should be humble like Mother Mary. Mary said, ‘You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said.’(Lk. 1: 38) ‘The greater you are, the more humbly you should behave, and then you will find favour with the Lord’ (Sir. 3: 18)

God send his only Son to this world to save us and brought us the salvation. ‘For God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes is judged; but whoever does not believe in him will be judged already, because that person does not believe in the Name of God’s only Son.’(Jon. 3: 17-18)

Lord when you said you are Son of God they tried to kill you. ‘He answer to them was, ‘My Father still goes on working, and I am at work, too.’ But that only made Jews even more intent on killing him, because not only was breaking the Sabbath, but he spoke of God as his own Father and so made himself God’s equal. To this Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, by himself the Son can do nothing: and whatever the Father does the Son does too. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he himself does, and he will show him even greater things than these, works that will astonish you. Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses; for the Father judges no one; he has entrusted all judgements to the Son, so that all may honour Son as they honour the Father. Whoever refuses honour to the Son refuses honour to the Father who sent him? In all truth I tell you, whoever listens to my words, and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life…’(Jon. 5:17-24) Lord, you asked disciples: ‘But you’, he said, ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, ‘You are Christ, the Son of the living God.’ (Matt. 16: 15-16.) Yes Lord! You are Christ the Son of the living God. He is the only redeemer, the Father in Heaven sent into this world.

Lord, but you reveal all these mysteries to mere children. ‘At that time Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. My Father has entrusted everything to me; and no one knows the Son except the Father, Just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ (Matt. 11: 25-27)

‘Yahweh alone is the God. God says:

Let all the nations assemble,

let the peoples gather here!

Which of them has proclaimed this

And revealed things to us the past? Let them bring their witnesses to justify themselves,

Let others hear and say, ‘it is true’

You yourselves are my witnesses, declares Yahweh,

And the servant, whom I have chosen,

So that you may know and believe me

And understand that it is I.

No God was formed before me,

Nor will be after me,

I, I am Yahweh,

And there is no other Saviour but me,

I have revealed, have saved, and proclaimed,

No some foreigner among you.

You are my witness, declares Yahweh,

I am God, yes, from eternity I am.

No one can deliver from my hand;

When I act, who can thwart me? (Is. 43: 9-13)

Yes Lord, nobody can deliver anyone from your hand. So evil has no power over you and your chosen ones. You are our only one saviour and one God. Yes Lord, you have revealed all these things to us.

Lord Jesus, even though you were equal to God, You humble yourself and became like us. And you taught us how the character of God is. Lord, give us your humble and meek heart and make our heart like yours.

‘Who, being in the form of God,

did not count equality with God

something to be grasped.

But he emptied himself,

Taking the form of a slave,

becoming as human beings are;

and being in every way like a human being

he was humbler yet,

even to accept death, death on a cross.

And for this God raised him high,

and gave him the name

which is above all other names;

So that all beings

In the heavens, on earth and in underworld,

Should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acknowledge

Jesus Christ as Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.(Phi. 2: 6-11)

Lord, let me surrender to you, everything is belongs to you. Nothing is belongs to me. I am thanking you with all my heart for everything you done for me.

Lord we are praying together with St. Paul and all other Saints in one union with Jesus Christ for the glory of the Father in heaven. ‘This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every father-hood, in heaven or on earth, takes its name. In the abundance of his glory may he, through his Spirit, enable you to grow firm in power with regard to your inner self, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, with all God’s holy people you will have the strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; so that, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond knowledge, you may be filled with the utter fullness of God. Glory be to him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; glory be to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen.’(Eph. 3: 15-21) We should thankful to Jesus, who has chosen St. Paul as a great apostle to give us the true knowledge and wisdom of God by his teachings of the Holy Scriptures.

Lord, your Words are revealing to us the secrets and the mysteries of your kingdom. ‘May God grant me to speak as he would wish and conceive thoughts worthy of the gifts I have received, since he is both guide to Wisdom and director of sages; for we are in his hand, yes, ourselves and our sayings, and all intellectual and all practical knowledge.’ (Wis. 7: 15-16) Oh St. Therese of Avila; pray for me to get the Wisdom from God. Come Holy Spirit, come into my heart and my soul and purify me to become a true sacrifice for my Lord. Blessed be the God of Israel, and we will bless your name from generations after generations, forever and ever Amen.

Lord, let me make music, to praise your Holy Name….

Lord, let your Name be blessed in heaven and earth,

from the hearts of your holy people.

Lord, we live to bless your Holy Name,

Among all the nations we praise your glory

            Let our heart be joyful and triumphant,

to please your heart in we praising you.

Lord, give your grace to live with you,

And make me a home of your eternal Word.

‘I am He’; you said to me Lord,

As you revealed, you’re Holy Name to me.

The Name of Yahweh my God and my Lord,

Of God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob